Electric connectors provided with indicating lamps have been widely known and are often employed on many modular sockets or other similar electric devices. The modular sockets are mounted on a circuit board for a corresponding modular plug to insert thereinto to enable an electric connection thereat. In a conventional electric connector with an indicating lamp, a light emitting diode (LED) is embedded in a front side of a case for the electric connector, so that light emitted from the LED is used to indicate an operational or functional state of the electric connector, such as, for example, the receiving or transmitting of data or signals, the normal connection of different parts in an apparatus, the on or off of a power supply, an abnormal condition in data transmission over a network, etc. However, with the tendency of miniaturization, there is no longer sufficient space in the connector cases of miniaturized electronic and telecommunication products for mounting an LED therein, which inevitably causes confusions in product design.
FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a conventional structure for fixing a light guide element to an electric connector. As shown, the structure mainly includes a connector case 3, a holding bracket 4, and a light guide element 20.
The connector case 3 is provided at lower edges with a plurality of downward projected insertion tabs 31 for inserting into holes correspondingly formed on a circuit board to serve as locating and grounding means. The connector case 3 is also provided at a front side with a plurality of sockets 32, into which a correspondingly formed plug may be plugged to enable an electric connection thereat. A plurality of raised strips 33 are formed on a top surface of the connector case 3 above each of the sockets 32 to extend in a direction parallel to an extension direction of the socket 32, so that a guide path 331 is formed between any two adjacent raised strips 33 on each socket 32. The connector case 3 is also externally provided on each of two lateral surfaces with a plurality of hooks 34.
The holding bracket 4 has a front side being bent to form a raised end portion 43. The raised end portion 43 is formed at an outer edge with a plural set of notches 431 corresponding to the guide paths 331 on the connector case 3, and on a top thereof with a plural set of channels 42 corresponding to and extended rearward from the notches 431. At least one set of two longitudinally spaced clamping plates 45 are formed on the holding bracket 4 near a middle portion thereof behind the raised end portion 43. The holding bracket 4 is also provided at each of two lateral sides with a plurality of downward bent vertical sections 44 and a plurality of upward bent vertical sections 41. Each of the downward bent vertical sections 44 has a retaining hole 441 formed thereon corresponding to the hooks 34 on the connector case 3. Through engagement of the retaining holes 441 with the hooks 34, the holding bracket 4 may be fixed to the top surface of the connector case 3.
The light guide element 20 consists of a plurality of parallelly arranged light guide units 21 interconnected with one another via a transversely extended bridge section 22. Each of the light guide units 21 is of L-shaped to have a straight front portion defining an upper end section 211 and a downward bent rear portion defining a lower end section 212. The bridge section 22 is provided at each of two lateral sides thereof with a sideward opened recess 203 corresponding to the upward bent vertical sections 41 on the holding bracket 4. Each of the lower end sections 212 is provided at one side thereof with a downward projected insertion section 24.
The light guide element 20 is assembled to the top surface and a rear outer side of the connector case 3 via the holding bracket 4 by extending the upper end sections 211 of the light guide element 20 into the channels 42 on the holding bracket 4 to forward project from the notches 431, locating the bridge section 22 between the set of two longitudinally spaced clamping plates 45 with the upward bent vertical sections 41 at two lateral sides of the holding bracket 4 separately abutting on the two sideward opened recesses 203 at two lateral sides of the bridge section 22, and inserting the downward projected insertion sections 24 at the lower end sections 212 into the circuit board (not shown).
With the above structure, the light guide element 20 is fixed to an outside of the connector case 3 to enable effective reduction of the volume of the connector case 3. However, the light guide element 20 is fixed to the connector case 3 via the holding bracket 4, which inevitably complicates the assembling of the electric connector and increases the component cost of the electric connector to disadvantageously lower the competitive ability of a finished product of the electric connector in the market.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a simplified structure for fixing a light guide element to an electric connector to eliminate the drawbacks in the conventional electric connector having a light source provided therewith.